The present invention relates to imidazole and/or its derivative as polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foam catalyst in the presence of Low Global Warming Potential (GWP) halogenated olefinic blowing agents, such as the hydrochlorofluoroolefin (HCFO) HCFO-1233zd. More particularly, the present invention relates to catalyst compositions comprising imidazole and/or its derivative. The present invention further relates to the stable pre-blend formulations and resulting polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foams. A method for stabilizing thermosetting foam blends comprises combining: (a) a polyisocyanate and, optionally, isocyanate compatible raw materials; and (b) a polyol pre-mix composition comprising a halogenated olefinic blowing agent, a polyol, a surfactant, and a catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises substituted imidazole having C2 or greater substitutions at the N1 nitrogen and/or its derivative. The resultant polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foams have uniform cell structure with little or no foam collapse.

The present disclosure relates to a modified polyester polyol composition useful in the formulation of polyurethane and polyisocyanurate cellular polymers for use in making foam articles with hydrocarbon blowing agents. The modified polyester polyol composition comprises the reaction product of a polyol with an EO/PO block copolymer having a weight average molecular weight from 1,000 to 20,000 g/mol and has a viscosity in the range of 100 to 10,000 centipoise, as determined at 25 C. according to the ASTM D-4878 method.

A composition comprising (a1) a polyether polyol, (a2) a polyolefine polyol and (a3) a polyester polyol obtainable by epoxidation of an unsaturated fatty acid ester and subsequent ring-opening reaction with a compound containing active hydrogen, can be used for the preparation of PUR foam which distinguishes by low-temperature flexibility and low dielectric loss and is suitable for filling the gap between the condenser core and the outer composite or porcelain insulator in the manufacture of resin impregnated paper (RIP) bushings.

Provided is a composition or foam stabilizer which has sufficient quality and foam stability even when an inexpensive glycol ether compound is used as a raw material, and that has excellent foam-enhancing performance. The composition contains a specific polyether-polysiloxane block copolymer (A) and a specific glycol ether compound (B) at a mass ratio of (A):(B)=(20 to 60):(80 to 40) (wherein the total amount of (A) and (B) is 100. The composition further contains (K) a specific monovalent potassium salt in the range of 3 to 300 wt. ppm calculated as potassium atoms. A method for manufacturing the composition is also provided.

The invention relates to a method for producing PUR/PIR rigid foam materials, having the steps of reacting at least one polyester polyol (a), which can be obtained by reacting a. I.) at least one cyclic carboxylic acid anhydride; a.2.) at least one low-molecular dial with a molecular mass of 62 to 450 Da; and a.3.) at least one alkylene oxide; by esterifying the components a.I.) and a.2.) and subsequently oxalkylating the resulting carboxylic acid half-ester using component a.3.); wherein at least the oxalkylation is carried out using a.4.) at least one amine catalyst in which (the) nitrogen atom(s) is/are part of an aromatic ring system, with (b) at least one polyisocyanate-containing component, (c) at least one propellant, (d) at least one or more catalysts, (e) optionally at one flameproofing agent and/or other auxiliary agents, and (f) optionally at least one additional compound with at least two groups which are reactive towards isocyanates and which differ from polyester polyol (a). The invention also relates to a PUR/PIR rigid foam material which can be obtained using a method according to the invention, to a composite element comprising the PUR/PIR rigid foam material according to the invention, at least one cover layer selected from concrete, wood, press board, aluminum, copper, steel, stainless steel, paper, non-wovens, and plastic, and multilayer composites or a combination thereof. The invention also relates to the use of the PUR/PIR rigid foam materials according to the invention or the composite element according to the invention for heat damping.

The use of an Ostwald hydrophobe in the production of polymer foams, preferably polyurethane foam, in particular rigid polyurethane foam, from liquid reaction mixtures, to retard cell ageing, in particular to retard cell ageing caused by Ostwald ripening, is described.

To provide an elastic roll for an electro-photographic apparatus that includes an elastic body layer having a low hardness and being excellent in fatigue resistance, and thus is resistant to fatigue, and to provide a method for manufacturing the same. An elastic roll 10 for an electrophotographic apparatus includes a shaft body 12, and a foamed elastic body layer 14 provided on an outer periphery of the shaft body 12, wherein the foamed elastic body layer 14 consists of a silicone rubber foamed body including a plurality of air bubbles 18 in its base material containing cross-linked silicone rubber and a reinforcement material, and wherein the foamed elastic body layer has a communication degree of 40% or more. It is preferable that the elastic roll 10 should further include a skin layer 14a in the foamed elastic body layer 14 on an outer peripheral side.

A foamed material includes 50 to 90 weight percent of a semicrystalline resin and 10 to 50 weight percent of a poly(phenylene ether). The semicrystalline resin can be one or more of a polyamide, a polyester, and a polyolefin. The foamed material has a density of 40 to 700 kilograms/meter.sup.3. It can be prepared by adding a blowing agent to a molten thermoplastic material containing the semicrystalline resin and the poly(phenylene ether), thereby forming a pre-foamed molten thermoplastic material, and extruding the pre-foamed molten thermoplastic material to form the foamed material. The foamed material is useful to form articles requiring solvent resistance.

The present invention relates to compositions which are suitable for producing polyurethane foams and contain at least one polyol component, at least one blowing agent, a catalyst which catalyzes the formation of a urethane or isocyanurate bond, a silicon-containing foam stabilizer and optionally further additives and optionally an isocyanate component, characterized in that they contain at least one unsaturated halogenated hydrocarbon as blowing agent and additionally at least one surfactant TD which does not have a silicon atom and has an HLB of less than 10, where the proportion of the sum of the surfactants TD in the composition is from 0.05 to 20 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of polyol components, a process for producing polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foams, in particular rigid foams, starting out from these polyol compositions, the use of the foams, in particular as insulation material, and also the insulation materials themselves.

To provide an elastic roll for an electro-photographic apparatus that includes an elastic body layer having a low hardness and being excellent in fatigue resistance, and thus is resistant to fatigue, and to provide a method for manufacturing the same.

An elastic roll 10 for an electrophotographic apparatus includes a shaft body 12, and a foamed elastic body layer 14 provided on an outer periphery of the shaft body 12, wherein the foamed elastic body layer 14 consists of a silicone rubber foamed body including a plurality of air bubbles 18 in its base material containing cross-linked silicone rubber and a reinforcement material, and wherein the foamed elastic body layer has a communication degree of 40% or more. It is preferable that the elastic roll 10 should further include a skin layer 14a in the foamed elastic body layer 14 on an outer peripheral side.